Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Stella’

ABSTRACT

A Chrysanthemum plant named &#39;Stella&#39; characterized by its medium sized blooms with peach colored ray florets and prolific branching, natural season flower date August 11-16; blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Stella’ is a product of a breeding and selection program for outdoor pot mums (garden mums) which had the objective of creating new Chrysanthemum cultivars with a decorative type flower, a natural season flower date around August 11-16; blooming for a period of 5 weeks. The new plant of the present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant ‘Stella’ is a seedling resulting from the open pollination among groups of Chrysanthemum cultivars maintained under the control of the inventor for breeding purposes. The new and distinct cultivar was discovered and selected as one flower plant by Mark Roland Boeder on a cultivated field in Rijsenhout Holland in August 2001. The plant has been asexually reproduced by cuttings in greenhouses at Rijsenhout Holland. The new cultivar has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive propagations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention of a new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum is shown in the accompanying drawings, the color being as nearly true as possible with color photographs of this type.

FIG. 1 shows a plant of the cultivar in full bloom.

FIG. 2 shows the various stages of bloom and foliage of the new cultivar.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This new variety of Chrysanthemum is of the botanical classification Chrysanthemum morifolium. The observations and measurements were gathered from plants grown out door in Rijsenhout, Holland under natural day length and temperature and planted in week 23 in 2002. The natural blooming date of this crop was August 11-16 (week 33). The average height of the plants was 30 cms. No growth retardants were used. No tests were done on disease or insect resistance or susceptibility. No tests were done on cold or drought tolerance. This new variety produces medium sized blooms with peach coloured ray florets blooming for a period of 5 weeks.

From the cultivars known to inventor the most similar existing cultivar in comparison to ‘Stella’ is ‘Cefreya’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/316,870). When ‘Cefreya’ and ‘Stella’ are being compared the following differences are noticed. The differences of ‘Cefreya’ and ‘Stella’ are (1) Color of ray florets. Both cultivars has soft colored blooms, but the ray florets of ‘Cefreya’ are more pink colored, while those of ‘Stella’ are more orange colored. (2) Color of center of bloom ‘Cefreya’ has a pink center, and ‘Stella’ has a peach center. (3) Longitudinal axis of majority of ray florets. The axis is reflexing to twisted in ‘Cefreya’ and straight in ‘Stella’.

The following is a description of the plant and characteristics that distinguish ‘Stella’ as a new and distinct variety. The color designations are taken from the plant itself. Accordingly, any discrepancies between the color designations and the colors depicted in the photographs are due to photographic tolerances. The color chart used in this description is: The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, edition 1995.

TABLE 1 Botanical Description of cultivar ‘Stella’ Bud Size Small; cross-section 0.7 cm, height 0.9 cm Outside Color Orange 27D Involucral bracts 2 rows, length 7 mm, width 3 mm Involucral bracts among Not present disc-florets Involucral bracts color Green 137B Bloom Type Decorative Size Medium Fully Expanded 4 cm Peduncle length 6 cm Peduncle color Yellow-green 148C Number of blooms per Approx. 10 blooms per branch branch Performance on the plant 5 weeks Seeds Produced in small quantities, ovate grey- brown 199A, 1½ mm in length. Fragrance Typical chrysanthemum, slightly Color Center of the flower Immature Orange-red 31C Mature Orange-red 31D Color of upper surface of Orange 29C the ray-florets Color of the lower surface Yellow 13D with streaks of Orange 29C of the ray-florets Tonality from Distance A garden mum with peach colored flowers Color of upper side of ray Orange 29C florets after aging of the plant Ray florets Texture Upper and under side smooth Number 120-140 Cross-section Flat Longitudinal axis of Straight majority Length of corolla tube 1.2 cm Ray-floret margin Entire Ray-floret length 2.7 cm Ray-floret width 0.7 cm Ratio length/width Medium Shape of tip Rounded Disc florets Disc diameter 0.3 cm Distribution of disc florets Few, present only in mature stage Shape Tubular Color Yellow-green 145C Receptacle shape Conical raised Reproductive Organs Stamen Present in disc florets only Stamen color Yellow-green 144A Pollen Produced in small amount Pollen color Yellow 7A Styles Thick Style color Yellow 13A Style Length 4 mm Stigma color Yellow-green 144A Stigma Width 1 mm Ovaries Enclosed in calyx Plant Form A garden mum outdoor mounded and round Growth habit Spreading Growth rate Intermediate Height 30 cm Width 40 cm Stem Color Yellow-green 146C Stem Strength Weak Stem Brittleness Brittle Stem Anthocyanin Absent Coloration Internode length 2 cm Length of lateral branch From top to bottom 15 cm Lateral branch color Yellow-green 146C Lateral branch, attachment Medium strength Branching (average number Good with 10 breaks after pinching of lateral branches) Natural season blooming August 11-16 date Foliage Leaf color Upper side Green 137A Under side Green 138A Color midvein Upper side Green 139D Under side Green 138D Size Small; length 4 cm, width 3 cm Quantity (number per 15 lateral branch) Shape Cordiform Texture upper side Glabrous Texture under side Pubescent Venation arrangement Palmate Shape of the margin Serrated Shape of Base of Sinus Rounded Between Lateral Lobes Margin of Sinus Between Diverging Lateral Lobes Shape of Base Truncate Apex Mucronate Petiole length 0.5 cm Petiole color Green 137A

TABLE 2 Differences with the comparison variety ‘Stella’ ‘Cefreya’ Color of upper side of ray florets Orange 29C Red 37B Color of center of bloom Orange-red 31D Red 37C Longitidunal axis of majority of Straight Reflexing to twisted ray florets 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Chrysanthemum plant as described and illustrated. 